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Inkhead Promotional Products Review: Good Vendor or Not-so-Good?

inkhead promotional products review
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The internet is great for business. I’m a huge fan of internet marketing, but studies show there are other very effective ways to get people to know about your business, and custom promo items are a major one.

Let’s say you want people to know about your business in an offline setting, what do you do? You don’t want to be “that guy” who seems to be harrassing everybody with his sales pitches. You also don’t want to be “that girl” who is so shy that she won’t drum up any business because she’s too cautious to tell anyone about her products or services.

You want to be somewhere in the middle.

  • Cordial
  • Respectful
  • Appreciated
  • and able to build an excited community around your brand

That’s why it’s important to choose your marketing tactics carefully. Unlike disruptive ads or over-aggressive salespeople, studies show promotional product advertising is:

  • An appreciated form of advertising
  • A contributor to optimal business KPIs
  • and, a way to get lots of impressions for a lost cost

What more could you want from your marketing plan? Promo products are a great component of a killer marketing strategy–that’s why I’m excited to write this review for you on Inkhead promotional products. I think they have products and a streamlined process that could change the game for you! When you’re doing your next big marketing campaign or hosting your next event, Inkhead may be a great vendor for you to look at, and I’ll tell you why.

In this Inkhead by Deluxe Review, I’ll give you:

  • What it is
  • How it works
  • Pros and Cons
  • What it does well and what it does not
  • What others are saying (good and bad)
  • My Recommendation
  • And, Alternatives (in case you want to do some comparison shopping)

If you decide at any point you want to skip the remainder of the review and TRY INKHEAD OUT FOR YOURSELF, you can CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED WITH INKHEAD.

What is Inkhead Promotional Products? An Overview

The promotional product industry is a little behind.  Just a few decades ago, majority of us were making buying decisions by going into physical stores. Now, with the advancement of technology, it seems that life is much more fast paced, and many of us feel more in control of our time because we’re able to leverage technology.

We don’t have to drive because of Lyft, we don’t have to shop for our own groceries because of DoorDash, and we don’t even have to go home because of AirBnB! Haha.

Even with the huge progression of businesses doing commerce and creating relationships online, there are some industries that are still quite behind, and the promotional product industry is one of them. With the fast pace of life, we don’t want to:

  • take breaks from work
  • drive down to the local promo product dealer
  • order products
  • and return for customizations or revisions.

Instead, we want the ability to:

  • Get on our computers
  • Easily choose the marketing products we want
  • Checkout
  • and get them shipped quickly

That’s what Inkhead offers.

inkhead promotional products review

Inkhead is a promotional product company that started in 2003 and is owned by the Deluxe Corporation. The founder originally hired a software developer to create a technology solution that would enable people to efficiently buy custom promo items online. Now, the hired software developer, Chris D’Agnes has become a co-founder and major partner in the business, and Inkhead is recognized in the Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation!

Many of the promotional product companies (sign shops, t-shirt shops, office supply shops, etc.) are brick and mortar, so a company like Inkhead is a trailblazer. They make it efficient for you to get on your computer, navigate their website, and get your branding printed on a variety of items you can use for marketing and advertising!

Here’s a video interview of one of the founders explaining how Inkhead came to be:

How Does Inkhead Promotional Products Work?

Inkhead is backed by a team of promotional product consultants and suppliers. When you go to their website and you’re looking thru their inventory, it can be a little overwhelming. They have 50,000 products listed there, and you want to make sure you’re choosing the right one for your occasion. They’re experienced with helping customers choose the right promo products for their campaigns, so you get consulting and branded products from Inkhead.

How Do I Get Started with Inkhead by Deluxe?

To get started with Inkhead, you’d:

1. Go to their website

You can GO TO THE INKHEAD WEBSITE HERE.

2. Browse their inventory

They have more than 50,000 items there, but they will assist you to select the appropriate item for your campaign. You’ll see on their website they have live chat attendants and their phone number. You can get help choosing the right product by calling or chatting.

3. Choose which items you’d like custom printed

They offer apparel, kitchenware, calendars, bags, corporate gifts, and more! CHECK OUT THE INKHEAD INVENTORY HERE.

4. Design

Unlike many of the promotional product websites, on Inkhead.com, you’re able to pick your item, design it (by adding your logo or custom design), and checkout. Many others require you to request a quote or some other process that’s less efficient. As you can see in the screen below, with Inkhead, you can see the product, pick your colors, go to their “design studio” wizard, and checkout.

inkhead review

5. Place your order

You enter the quantities that you want, your billing info, and you checkout.

6. Get your items in the mail

Customer reviews sugges that Inkhead consistently delivers products to their customers very fast, so within a few days, you should expect your branded items in your mailbox.

7. Start handing your items out!

Once you get your items, you want to start putting your marketing plan in action! If you’ve gotten the items for co-workers or employees, you want to begin handing them out. If you’re wanting to host an advertising campaign, then get everything in order to get it in action.

Who are Inkhead Promotional Products For?

Inkhead promotional products are for:

  • Businesses who want more brand awareness or engagement
  • Those who want a way to award employees or customers
  • Businesses who buy office supplies, branded apparel, or other branded gear in bulk
  • Companies who are dissatisfied with the current marketing method they’re using and would like to try promo product advertising

Inkhead by Deluxe Tools & Training

Inkhead has lots of video demos so you can see and understand what the products they sell would be like when you get them.

Inkhead Support

Inkhead offers live chat, phone, and email support.

What Does Inkead by Deluxe Do Well

  • They have a wide variety of customizable products
  • They consult customers to help run successful promotional product campaigns
  • They have high quality suppliers and products
  • Their website serves as a great technology solution to purchase promo products efficiently
  • They’re affordably priced

What Doesn’t Inkhead by Deluxe Do Well

  • They have minimums that would be high for many small business owners

Inkhead Promotional Products Review Roundup

I’ve compiled reviews (good and bad) from all over to give you a balanced perspective of what to expect from Inkhead.

Google Reviews

Google reviewers have rated Inkead by Deluxe, and here’s the results…

inkhead promotional products review

Video Reviews

Common Positive Feedback

  • Custom service was very helpful to make sure my items arrived before my deadline
  • Nice packaging and timely delivery
  • Customer service did a great job improving the look of our design
  • Good quality
  • Great communication throughout the production process

Common Negative Feedback

  • The item I wanted was out of stock
  • It took a long time to get the item approved and in production
  • Not the lower prices

Most Helpful Positive Product Name Review

A Google reviewer left this five-star review of Inkhead

Ben and the staff at Inkhead did an excellent job completing a rush order for me and getting it to our office in time for our event. Their customer service was fantastic!

Most Helpful Negative Product Name Review

A customer at reseller ratings left this one-star review of Inkhead:

Horrible sizing”I ordered bottle opener keychains with a logo imprint. The logo came out to be very small and there is a lot of space that could’ve been filled that wasn’t. The cut off area itself is ridiculous on the online digital design interface.

It’s a pretty big let down considering you want to showcase your logo when getting merch for a business. Now I have a ton of bottle openers with tiny logos.

Would not recommend for logos! ”

Inkhead Prices

Inkhead has 50,000+ products that are competitively priced. They aren’t the lowest prices or the highest prices, however, you can find some very affordable and unique ways to boost your brand.

My Final Opinion of Inkhead Promotional Products

Inkhead is a great promotional product vendor especially if you’re ready to buy in bulk for your team or upcoming campaign. If you’re looking to customize individual items, I wouldn’t recommend Inkhead because they won’t have many options for you. When you upload your artwork and checkout, I’d recommend requesting a proof before they print your order–this is a vital step. If you don’t have a proof, then the order can turn out in a way you didn’t expect. If you’re ready to BROWSE INKHEAD and CHOOSE PROMO PRODUCTS FOR YOUR COMPANY CLICK HERE.

Top Alternatives

If you’re not totally sold that Inkhead is a good vendor for you, check out some of these recommended alternatives:

Zazzle – If you want an alternative where you can order individual custom items or choose from a large selection of custom artiwork, CHECK OUT ZAZZLE HERE or read my full review here.

IPromo – If you want to speak directly to a factory (rather than consultants who work with suppliers) and get custom items for you brand, CHECK OUT IPROMO. They have a full inventory of very unique items (many Inkhead doesn’t have). TAKE A LOOK AT IPROMO or read my full review here.

VERDICT: Recommend

——————————————————-

Inkhead Promotional Products

7.7

Reliability

8.0/10

Pricing

7.0/10

User Friendly

8.0/10

Support

8.0/10

Features

7.5/10

Pros

  • Large selection of brandable items
  • Consultants to help you get the right product for you campaign
  • Lots of great reviews about their service and products
  • Affordable pricing--bulk buying discounts
  • Expedited shipping options

Cons

  • An order proof may not be a part of the production process, so you'll need to request one
  • Customer complaints suggest that items ordered online may not be in stock, so Inkhead may need to work with you to modify the order or give you a refund
  • Production times may vary
  • The minimum order amount may be high for small businesses

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